An Indiana State Rep’s Indecent Proposal to Get Colts Players to stop taking a knee

On September 24, Milo Smith took his daughter to an Indianapolis Colts’ game against the Cleveland Browns. Though the Colts won that day — a tragically rare occurrence this year — Smith left the game offended. During the national anthem, a group of players on both teams took a knee in reaction to President Trump’s comments two days earlier, where he called protesting players sons of bitches who should be fired by team ownership.

"To me when they take a knee during the national anthem, it’s not respecting the national anthem or our country,” Smith told the Indianapolis Star newspaper. “Our government isn’t perfect, but it's still the best country in the world and I think we need to be respectful of it."

But Smith isn’t just an ordinary Colts' fan. He’s a state representative, and he couldn’t sit idly by while the Colts players knelt during the Star-Spangled Banner. Instead, he’s promised to introduce legislation that would force the team to refund the ticket price to any fan offended by a Colts player protesting during the national anthem.

A 20-year veteran teacher is accused of assaulting a middle school student who refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, the latest incident in which a protest over the flag has devolved into apparent violence.

The teacher is Karen Smith, who until recently taught physical education at Angevine Middle School, about 20 miles north of Denver. She couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Officers were called to the school around noon Thursday, the Denver Post reported. Neither the school nor the police released details, and the student's name has not been released. No charges have been filed.

A school spokesman told the newspaper that the policy is to allow students to sit or stand during the pledge.